Exhibiting Mail Art

[Dan Mouer]

I am an artist who periodically exhibits his work in both solo and group shows. I am also an artist-member of a substantial non-profit gallery. This is all to say that I am familiar with "normal" exhibition methods and standards for fine art; however, in my upcoming exhibition "This is Just Mail Art," scheduled for September 2014, I really want to avoid the standards and the norms of gallery presentation.

I am serious about making mail art, and even more serious about "collecting" the wonderful work from correspondents around the world. However, I would prefer not to treat these art objects as something "precious." I really like the anti-art nature of mail art, and I want to hold onto and "exhibit" the fun factor, informality, and non-exclusivity of our enterprise. I want to capture a bit of that Fluxus irreverence not only in the pieces exhibited, but in the ehibition itself.

On the other hand, I am not drawn to the sorts of exhibitions I have seen in many pix here at IUOMA-Ning: the plain white walls papered top to bottom with pinned or taped or otherwise generically mounted pieces. I have started this discussion to see what brilliant ideas this brilliantly creative community might offer when it comes to exhibition methods that truly convey what it is we are all about. Among ideas I am entertaining is hanging bits from thread or fishing line and having visitors navigate a maze of amazing mail art, or setting up informal "coffee tables" spread with mail art pieces that visitors can touch, turn over, play with, even steal? or spill coffee on???

[Dan Mouer]

Val,

I was the only photographer present, so no pix on me. What I DO have is shots of the ladies painting my then 3 yr old (now 47-yr-old) son. And, no....I am not shatng those. This is no longer the 60s...
;-)

Dan

[Dan Mouer]

That is definitely a cool idea Uncle Bacon.